Human Rights Monitoring Report: January 01-31, 2012

Odhikar believes that the role and democratic aspiration of individuals and the collective rights and responsibilities of the people must be the foundational principle of the state. Democratic legitimacy of the state is directly related to its commitment and capacity to ensure human rights, such as rights to life and livelihood; right to environment and health and dignity; and integrity of individuals. These rights, as the foundational principle of the state, must remain inviolable, and accordingly Parliament, Judiciary and Executive cannot and should not have any power to abrogate these rights through any legislation, judicial verdict or executive order.

Odhikar, being an organisation of human rights defenders in Bangladesh, has been struggling to ensure these rights. As a network of human rights defenders, Odhikar stands against all forms of human rights violations and accordingly participates and remains directly involved in the human rights movement of Bangladesh. The movement to establish rights and dignity of every individual is part of the struggle to constitute Bangladesh as a democratic political community. As part of its mission, Odhikar monitors the human rights situation of Bangladesh to report violations and defend the victims. In line with this campaign, an account of the human rights situation of Bangladesh, covering the month of January 2012, is presented below:

Political violence continues: Five killed in police firing on opposition processions

1. Four persons died in Chandpur and Laxmipur when police opened fire on demonstrating BNP1 activists and supporters on January 29, 20122. The deceased have been identified as Limon Choiyal (25), a rickshaw puller of Guakhola in Chandpur; Abul Hossain Mreedha (50), a rickshaw puller of Baburhaat in Chandpur; and Mohammad Rubel (25) of Pashchim Laxmipur village under Laxmipur Sadar upazila; and Mohammad Abul Qashem (55) of Charmonosha village in Laxmipur. Meanwhile Laxmipur district unit BNP

claimed that Mohammad Rubel was the Vice-President of 8 No. ward Jubo Dal3 of Dalalbazar Union while Mohammad Abul Qashem was the Vice- President of Tewariganj union BNP.

2. Violence in Chandpur erupted at around 11:00 am when police asked BNP activists, gathering at a school ground, to disperse. Police opened fire when the opposition activists started vandalising vehicles as the clash spread to other parts of the town. At least 80 people, including 30 police

were injured in a clash between police and BNP supporters.4

1 BNP: The Bangladesh Nationalist Party, now in Opposition.2 The violence took place when the police intercepted the processions by opposition activists, campaigning for the restoration of a Caretaker Government system, as part of their central programme in the districts.3 Jubo Dal is the youth wing of the BNP.4 The daily Prothom Alo, 30/01/2012, http://www.prothom-alo.com/detail/date/2012-01-30/news/220633